Interchangeable purse insert



B. J. TUCKER 3,414,033

INTERCHANGEABLE PURSE INSERT Dec. 3, 1968 Filed June 15, 1967 INVENTOR. BILLY J. TUCKER .01. W, j ATTQRNE United States Patent 3,414,033 INTERCHANGEABLE PURSE INSERT Billy J. Tucker, 2715 Hemple St., Chesapeake, Va. 23324 Filed June 15, 1967, Ser. No. 646,231 8 Claims. (Cl. 15034) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pouch or envelope type purse insert having closure means and readily detachable from the interior of a ladys purse and readily reattachable to the interior of another such purse. The purse insert is constructed of a pliable, transparent plastic to display the contents there of, and is interiorly provided with document carrying pockets and cartridge-belt type loops in which lipstick tubes and the like are disposed. One portion of a separable nylon tape fastener is secured to the purse insert, and the cooperating portion of the fastener is secured to the interior of at least one purse.

This invention relates generally to an article carrying insert for a conventional ladys purse or handbag, and more particularly to an article carrying insert detachably secured to the interior of a ladys purse and readily removeable therefrom and similarly retachable to the interior of another such purse.

Ladies generally own a number of purses or handbags of different styles and colors, since it is considered desirable that the specific purse carried at a given time match the particular sttyle and color scheme of the clothing and the accessories worn. While all of the great variety of articles generally found in ladies purses, such as keys, handkerchiefs, currency and change, documents, cosmetic products, and the like, may not be required on all of the occasions when a purse is carried; there are still certain of these items that ladies prefer to have in their possession at all times and that may be overlooked when the contents of one purse are removed and sorted before desired articles selected therefrom are transferred to an other purse. One heretofore proposed solution of this problem contemplates the provision of a carrying kit for the more important and indispensable of these items and which may be transferred from purse to purse, as set forth in U.S. Patent No. 2,529,724 granted on Nov. 14, 1950, to S. T. Conwiser. The present invention is drawn to an improved carrying kit of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,724, and is considered to provide advantages not obtainable with the carrying kit shown in this prior art patent or otherwise heretofore known.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of an article carrying insert adapted to be detachably secured to an interior wall of a ladys purse.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a ladys purse interiorly carrying a portion of a separable fastener adapted to engage another portion of the separable fastener carried by an article carrying purse insert for detachably securing the purse insert within the purse.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are obtained by providing a purse insert adapted to carry in orderly fashion many of the items usually found in ladies purses or handbags and readily detachable from the interior of one purse and readily retachable to the interior of one of a plurality of other purses. The purse insert is preferably constructed in the form of a pouch or envelope provided with closure means, and includes a plurality of substantially superposed pockets secured to the interior surface of one of the walls thereof in 3,414,033 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 which credential documents or the like may be disposed, as well as cartridge-belt type loops secured to the interior surface of the same or another of the walls thereof in which lipstick tubes, pens, pencils, and the like may be disposed. The purse insert may be further compartmentalized or provided with item carrying pockets as deemed desirable. A conventional, pliable, transparent plastic is used in constructing the purse insert to readily permit visual inspection of the contents of the closed purse insert. The exterior of the purse insert is provided in a desired upper location with a portion of a conventional separable fastening means engageable with another and cooperating portion of the separable fastening means carried by the interior of any purse of conventional design with which the purse insert is to be used.

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many attendant advantages thereof will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional ladys purse having the purse insert according to the present invention detachably secured therein;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the opened purse insert according to the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional, elevational view of the purse insert according to the present invention, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the separable fastening means detachably securing the purse insert within the ladys purse.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or identical parts throughout the several views, and more specifically in FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional ladys purse or handbag, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, having detachably secured therein an article carrying purse insert, generally designated by the reference numeral 12. One of the substantially vertically disposed side walls 13 of purse 11 carries, near the upper extremity of the inner surface thereof, one substantially horizontally disposed elongated element 14 of a conventional, two part nylon tape fastener of the type presently commercially available under the Velcro trademark; and the purse insert 12, which is constructed in the form of a pouch or envelope, is provided in the vicinity of the upper extremity of the outer surface of one of the substantially vertically disposed side walls 15 thereof with another substantially horizontally disposed elongated and cooperating element 16 of the nylon tape fastener, as shown in FIG. 3. The elements 14 and 16 of the nylon tape fastener are each provided with one substantially smooth surface placed, respectively, in contact with wall 13 of purse 11 and with wall 15 of purse insert 12. and then secured thereto as by adhesive bonding, stitching, or the like. The other surface of each of the elements 14 and 16 of the separable nylon tape fastener is closely covered with very small, integrally formed, flexible, normally curved projections, as best shown in FIG. 4, and when these surfaces of elements 14 and 16 are placed in contact and pressed together, the curved projections carried thereby interengage, thereby firmly connecting purse insert 12 to purse 11 under normal conditions of use. Disengagement of purse insert .12 and purse 11 may thereafter be readily effected when desired by pulling the pulse insert 12 away from the purse 11 with sufficient force to temporarily substantially straighten out the normally curved projections carried by the interengaged surfaces of the separable fastener elements 14 and 16 and cause thereby the separation thereof. The fastener elements 14 and 16 are flexible, as clearly indicated in FIG. 4, and the side wall 15 of purse insert 12 is likewise flexible, as set forth hereinafter, allowing the use of minimum force in disengaging purse insert 12 from purse 11, inasmuch as this force may be applied initially near one end of the elements 14 and 16 to locally separate the same; the separation thereof thereafter linearly progressing along the lengths thereof without the further substantial addition of greater force.

Turning now more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be readily seen that purse insert 12, as mentioned hereinbefore, is constructed in the form of a pouch or envelope. The body of the purse insert 12 is preferably formed of a single, substantially rectangularly shaped sheet of pliable or flexible, transparent plastic, which may be tinted in any one of a plurality of different colors for enhanced eye appeal, if desired, and through which the contents of the closed purse insert may be visually inspected. The sheet of transparent plastic making up the body of purse insert 12 is folded along a transverse line dividing the same into a pair of similar portions and redoubled, thereby forming opposed and normally vertically disposed side walls 15 of the purse insert 12. At each end of purse insert 12 the opposed and normally vertical edges of the side walls 15 are secured together along about the lower halves thereof, which may be neatly accomplished by turning these lower partial edges of side walls 15 inwardly towards the center of purse insert 12, as shown in FIG. 3, and then stitching or otherwise suitably joining each to the other.

Purse insert 12 further includes suitable closure means which may take the form, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing, of a pair of substantially U-shaped frame elements 17 hinged together at the free terminus of each of the end legs thereof. Each frame element 17 is also substantially U-shaped in section, as shown in FIG. 3, and is so formed that the upper portion of each normally vertically disposed edge of a side wall 15 of purse insert 12, as well as the normally horizontally disposed upper edge of the side wall 15, may be secured within the confines of the section of the frame element 17, with the hinges 18 connecting the frame elements 17 being situated at the upper extremities of the lower edge portions of side walls 15 of purse insert 12. The frame elements 17 each carry a canted snap element 19 of inverted truncated form slanting each toward the other and cooperatively offset from the center of the upper surface of the normally horizontal leg thereof which, when frame elements 17 are swung together about the hinge 18, yieldably interengage to close the purse insert 12.

The inner surface of one of the side walls 15 of purse insert 12 is provided with substantially superposed, upwardly opening pockets in which credential documents and the like may be disposed. The largest of these pockets is formed by securing the lower and the side edges of a rectangularly shaped sheet 21 of flexible, transparent plastic, which preferably is composed of the same material forming the body of the purse insert 12, to the inner surface of this side Wall 15. Another and somewhat smaller pocket is provided by placing another sheet of plastic 22 of lesser height but similar in other respects to sheet 21 thereover with the lower and the side edges thereof substantially coinciding with those of sheet 21; the lower and the side edges of sheet 22 being secured to sheet 21 and to the side wall 15 of purse insert 12. Still another and even smaller pocket is provided by similarly placing another sheet of plastic 23 of lesser height but in other respects similar to sheet 22 thereover with the lower and the side edges thereof substantially coinciding with those of sheets 21 and 22; the lower and the side edges of sheet 23 being secured to sheets 21 and 22 as well as the side Wall 15 of purse insert 12. The connection of the sheets of plastic 21, 22, and 23 to each other and to the side wall 15 of purse insert 12 is best accomplished by stitching these elements together with a continuous line of stitches extending completely through all of the superposed elements and running coextensively with the lower and the side edges of the sheet of plastic 21, which may be the more readily accomplished before the formation of the body of the purse insert 12 from the larger sheet of plastic material.

The inner surface of the other of the side walls 15 of purse insert 12 is provided with a plurality of elongated, substantially vertically disposed, open ended loops formed by attaching a substantially horizontally disposed, sinuously shaped strip of material 24 thereto at spaced intervals as by stitching or the like. The strip of material 24 is preferably composed of the same material from which the body of the purse insert 12 and the pockets on the opposed side wall 15 thereof are formed. These cartridgebelt type loops formed by the described interconnection of the strip of material 24 and this side wall 15 of purse insert 12 are intended to receive and hold in orderly fashion such substantially cylindrically shaped articles as lipstick tubes, pens and pencils, pill containers, and the like.

The purse insert 12 may be stocked with those documents, such as automobile operators permits, credit cards, and the like, as well as the cosmetic and other articles that ladies prefer to have in their possession at all times, and secured within the particular purse being carried. Other items, of course, such as keys, wallets, and the like, may also be placed in the purse insert 12 and carried therein, inasmuch as the flexible construction thereof permits the side walls 15 to move apart to make room for such items. When the purse insert 12 is removed from one purse 11 and attached to the interior of another, the contents thereof may be readily visually inspected through the transparent side walls thereof to assure that all of the articles desired are contained therein, obviating the necessity of physically rummaging therethrough to ascertain the contents thereof.

When the purse insert 12 is sold, a plurality of extra elongated elements 14 of the separable nylon tape fastener may be placed therein for the convenience of the purchaser, who may attach one of these extra elements 14 to the interior of each of her purses in the manner described to obtain the full benefits arising from the ownership of the purse insert 12. New purses, of course, may be marketed with the purse insert 12 already detachably secured therein in the manner described, and also containlng extra nylon tape fastener elements 14 for the purpose mentioned hereinbefore.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An article carrying insert adapted to be readily detachably secured within a ladys purse, comprising:

(a) a body constructed in the form of an upwardly opening envelope having a pair of opposed normally substantially vertically disposed side walls;

(b) a flexible tape fastener element exteriorly connected to one of said side walls near the upper extremity thereof adapted to detachably interengage another and cooperating flexible tape fastener element interiorly connected to a side wall of said ladys purse near the upper extremity thereof;

(c) means for closing said upwardly opening purse insert body;

(d) a plurality of upwardly opening document carrying pockets interiorly interconnected to a side wall of said purse insert body; and

(e) a plurality of elongated, substantially vertically disposed, open ended, cylindrically shaped, article carrying loops interiorly carried on a side wall of said purse insert body.

2. The purse insert according to claim 1, wherein said purse insert body, said pockets, and said loops are formed of flexible, transparent plastic.

3. The purse insert according to claim 2, wherein said pockets are carried on one of said purse insert body side walls and wherein said loops are carried on the other of said purse insert body side walls.

4. The purse insert according to claim 3, wherein said pockets are substantially superposed with the lower edges and at least a portion of each of the side edges thereof substantially coinciding; the size of said pockets progressively decreasing with increased remoteness from said side wall of said purse insert body carrying said pockets, and wherein said loops are formed by the attachment at spaced intervals of a substantially horizontally disposed, sinuously shaped strip to said side wall of said purse insert body carrying said loops.

5. A lady's purse having an article carrying insert detachably secured therein, comprising:

(a) a normally substantially vertically disposed purse side wall having a flexible tape fastener element interiorly connected thereto near the upper extremity thereof;

(b) a purse insert body constructed in the form of an upwardly opening envelope having a pair of opposed normally vertically disposed side walls, one of said purse insert body side walls carrying near the upper extremity thereof on the outer surface thereof another and cooperating flexible tape fastener element readily detachably interengaged with said flexible tape fastener element connected to said purse side wall;

(c) means for closing said upwardly opening purse insert body;

(d) a plurality of upwardly opening document carrying pockets interiorly interconnected to a side wall of said purse insert body; and

(e) a plurality of elongated, substantially vertically disposed, open ended, cylindrically shaped, article carrying loops interiorly carried on a side wall of said purse insert body.

6. The purse according to claim 5, wherein said purse insert body, said pockets, and said loops are formed of flexible transparent plastic.

7. The purse according to claim 6, wherein said pockets are carried on one of said purse insert body side walls and wherein said loops are carried on the other of said purse insert body side walls.

8. The purse according to claim 7, wherein said pockets are substantially superposed with the lower edges and at least a portion of each of the side edges thereof substantially coinciding; the size of said pockets progressively decreasing with increased remoteness from said side wall of said purse insert body carrying said pockets, and wherein said loops are formed by the attachment at spaced intervals of a substantially horizontally disposed, sinuously shaped strip to said side wall of said purse insert body carrying said loops.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,529,724 11/1950 Conwiser --34 2,609,854 9/1952 Rosen 150-28 2,612,199 9/1952 Schocket 150-34 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner. 

